Audi A3 Sportback (2013-2020) Review

If you’re after looking for a small family car but want something that feels a bit more special than a Volkswagen Golf, the Audi A3 Sportback is an excellent choice.

It’s more practical than the standard Audi A3 thanks to a pair of extra doors and a slightly bigger boot, while there’s a wide range of engines. If you’ve got a family to carry, you might like to look at something a bit bigger like an Audi Q3 or A4, but the A3 Sportback is a great option for those who don’t want a car that’s too big.

The diesel engines were the most popular in the A3 Sportback when it was new, evidence of the model’s popularity with high-mileage company car drivers.

They do suit the car well, with the 2.0-litre, in particular, offering an abundance of torque and providing a relaxing (and economical) driving experience. However, diesels don’t really like covering lots of short journeys and spending a lot of time in town centres.

If you don’t cover mega miles, buy a petrol. The 1.4-litre (and later 1.5-litre) petrol suits the car well, combining low running costs with decent performance. You don’t have to look for a high trim level to get a good Audi A3 Sportback, either. We rate the more affordable SE and SE Technik models as they’re well equipped and more comfortable thanks to the standard suspension and smaller alloy wheels.

If you’re considering an A3 Sportback, you’re probably also looking at the BMW 1 Series and Mercedes-Benz A-Class. We rate the 1 Series as an enjoyable driver’s car but its interior is dated compared to the A3.

The Mercedes-Benz, meanwhile, never really hit the spot when it was new and it's no better as a used option. You could also consider left-field alternatives like the Volvo V40 or Lexus CT, as well as mainstream hatchbacks like the Volkswagen Golf, Mazda 3 or Ford Focus.

As well as looking upmarket, the Audi A3 Sportback’s cabin feels like it’s exceptionally well made, with plenty of premium, soft-touch materials and satisfyingly robust switches and buttons. If you think you’re expecting a Golf-sized premium car, you might be disappointed to find that only sporty S3 models get full-leather seats. They were offered as an extra on the A3 Sportback S line but, costing around £1200, it’s an option box that was rarely ticked.

Fortunately, even with cloth (or part-leather) seats, the A3 Sportback still represents a noticeable move upmarket in terms of quality compared to a mainstream alternative like the Ford Focus or Vauxhall Astra.

The S line models come with a host of interior features which make it feel a little more special than a standard A3 Sportback. These include an LED interior lighting pack, as well as aluminium dash inlays and stainless steel pedals. These all add up to really lift an already very good cabin.

Not everyone will appreciate the afterthought appearance of the Audi A3 Sportback’s infotainment system perched on top of the dash, but the way it slides up electrically was innovative back in 2013. Oh, how times have changed...

Whether you like its position or not, there’s no denying that it leaves an uncluttered dashboard. And it’s a brilliantly slick system to operate, controlled using a dial positioned between the seats rather than a touchscreen. It’s much easier to use when on the move, rather than having to lean forward and tap the screen itself.

Audi A3 Sportback SE models do without navigation but they have all the hardware required, so you can get it retrofitted. Models from 2016 onwards have Audi’s smartphone interface, giving you Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. This lets you mirror apps from your phone onto the car’s infotainment system, meaning you can access your Spotify playlists or use Google Maps rather than the built-in navigation.

Audi’s cool Virtual Cockpit is a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster which was sold as part of the Technology Pack. This does a great job of bringing the cabin up-to-date and A3 Sportbacks fitted with this are definitely the ones to look for.

If you hadn’t figured it out by now, the ‘Sportback’ bit of the Audi A3’s name simply means it’s a five-door hatchback. There’s also a three-door version but it sold in smaller numbers as most people want the practicality of the Sportback.

It has a marginally bigger boot than the three-door (The Audi A3 Sportback's boot is 380 litres compared to the standard A3’s 365 litres) and a useful amount of room in the rear. There’s space for a pair of child seats in the back, with those rear doors making access easy. 

Adults will fit in the back, too, with a reasonable amount of room for a pair of six-footers, although they’ll have to expect their knees to stick into the front seats a little. There’s a useful adjustable boot floor and the A3 Sportback’s low boot entry compared to an SUV makes loading bulky items a piece of cake. The rear seats drop easily - albeit not quite entirely flat - freeing up more room for transporting bigger items.

There’s no estate version of the A3 (just like you can’t buy a wagon version of the BMW 1 Series or Mercedes-Benz A-Class) so the Sportback’s the most practical model on sale - with more room than the three-door hatch, saloon or cabriolet. Up front, there’s plenty of space, with enough shoulder room for the broadest of adults. There’s plenty of headroom too.

The Audi A3 Sportback's dimensions make it 4310mm in length, 1966mm wide and 1425mm in height, making it fractionally longer and taller than the three-door A3, but the same width.

Diesels were popular in the A3 Sportback when it was new because of their economy but you might just have noticed that diesels are no longer in favour. That said, if you cover a lot of miles (more than 12,000 or so a year) and need a car for long motorway journeys, a diesel will still make sense.

The smaller 1.6-litre diesel (badged the 30 TDI in later years) is the most economical and is more than up to the job. That said, we’d go for one of the 35 or 40 TDI 2.0-litre diesels. They offer a useful amount of low-down torque and make motorway journeys a breeze, without economy being hit too much.

For those who don’t cover as many miles, there has been a multitude of petrol engines available. The 1.4-litre is the sweet spot, as well as the 1.5-litre which replaced it - combining decent performance with impressive real-world fuel economy. The 1.8 TFSI (later a 2.0-litre) is fun but a bit pointless, while the 1.0-litre is surprisingly perky for such a tiny, three-cylinder engine.

Then there’s the plug-in hybrid, badged the Audi A3 e-tron. This sold in small numbers but there are a few about on the used market, and could make a lot of sense if you can charge the car at home and most of your journeys are about 20 miles. If that works, the A3 e-tron is a very good introduction to EVs without the range anxiety of running a ‘proper’ electric car.

It’s the refinement levels that contribute to the A3 feeling much more special than something like a Vauxhall Astra. There’s just very little in the way of wind, engine or road noise - at least, as long as you don’t get tempted by one with the biggest wheels.

Go for a diesel and there’s a bit of a clatter on start-up, but no more than in alternatives. This soon quietens down as the engine warms up on a run, too.

The petrol models are perfectly refined, with even the three-cylinder 1.0-litre remaining surprisingly hushed unless you really work it hard. 

When it’s fully charged, the A3 e-tron is about as refined as you’d expect from a car running under electric power - something it can do at speeds of up to 80mph. There’s a bit of a rumble from the petrol engine when it first kicks in, but nowhere near the amount of commotion as you’d get from the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.

Euro NCAP, the independent body responsible for European safety ratings, awarded the Audi A3 Sportback e-tron a maximum five stars when it was tested in 2014. The three-door model also received a five out of five rating two years earlier.

The A3 Sportback holds its shape extremely well in the event of a crash, which is obviously very good news. Also impressive is the amount of technology on hand to prevent you being involved in a crash to begin with.

Clever active safety systems range from Audi’s side assist (which warns you if there’s a car in your blindspot when changing lanes) to radar-assisted adaptive cruise control and traffic sign detection.

More good news is the A3 Sportback’s space-saver spare wheel, which means you won’t be left stranded on the side of the road with nothing more than a tyre repair kit in the case of a puncture.

The Audi A3 scored a reasonable 9.22 out of 10 for reliability in the HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Survey, a score which is better than some Audi models but worse than others. Some problems have been raised by owners, such as cold starting of the 1.5-litre TFSI engine and also the automatic S tronic gearbox.

As a brand Audi performed less well than you might expect, placing 21st out of 30 manufacturers for overall satisfaction.

The Audi A3’s insurance groups range from 19 to 32, depending on engines and trim levels. If you’re worried about insurance prices, the 1.0-litre petrol will be the cheapest to insure, while the 2.0-litre petrol is the priciest.

All models are comparable to rivals in terms of insurance groups - shop around if your insurance company tries to charge a higher premium for the Audi badge.

In terms of CO2 emissions, the A3 Sportback is generally very efficient. That translates to low road tax under the old (pre-March 31st 2017) system, with most models costing £30 a year or less to tax. An exception is the 2.0-litre Quattro petrol, which costs £150 a year in VED.

Petrol and diesel A3 Sportbacks registered from April 2017 onwards will cost a flat £165 a year to tax, while the e-tron is classed an alternative-fuel car with a tax rate of £155/year.

The cheapest model in the A3 Sportback range was the SE model which started from around £20,000 when it was new. Specification included 16-inch alloy wheels, a seven-inch infotainment display with Smartphone Interface and navigation preparation (note: not actually nav!) and cruise control.

The Audi A3 Sportback SE Technik was initially sold alongside the SE and eventually replaced it as the A3 Sportback’s entry-level model. At one point aimed at company car drivers (thanks to its standard navigation over the SE), it was initially only sold with diesel engines - hence its near-£23,000 start price.

The Audi A3 Sportback Sport model added 17-inch alloy wheels, Audi’s Drive Select system and dual-zone climate control, as well as various cosmetic upgrades like a chrome exhaust trim and front sports seats. This started from £21,500 with the 1.0-litre petrol engine, while a 2.0-litre TDI Quattro was nudging £30,000.

The high-spec Audi A3 Sportback S line would have started around £26,000 when it was new, featuring a whole host of desirable features, like LED headlights, S line body styling, part-leather seats and the Storage Pack. Not to mention undesirable features, like the 18-inch alloy wheels...

Audi A3 Sportback Black Edition models topped the range, starting from slightly more than £27,000 when the A3 Sportback was new and rising to nearly £33,000. These featured a premium sound system, privacy glass and a black styling pack, along with 18-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels.